Improvement in horseshoes



1. H. D'URGANQ Ho'rseshoe.

N0.166,51-3. PatentedAug.10,1875..

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/ W BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. DORGAN, or PLATTSBURG, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSESHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,513. dated August 10, 1875; application filed March 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. DORGAN, of Plattsburg, in the county of Clinton and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Attaching Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification:

The invention is an improvement in the class'of horseshoes which are attached to the foot by means of bands or straps in place of nails.

The improvement relates to the construction of the metal band, and means of attaching the same to a shoe, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a view of a horses hoof with the shoe attached according to my invention. Fig. 2 shows the strap and shoe in section. Fig. 3 is a detail of the heel of the shoe.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the hoof.. B is a band or strap. 0 is the shoe. The strap Bis made in three parts, preferably, D being the central and principal part. E is a piece which laps onto D on each side, and is fastened thereto by bolts F. G represents a series of holes through the part D, which allows the pieces E to be adjusted, so as to make the strap or band B tit hoofs of differen'tsizes. This band and the pieces E are made of stronger sheet iron or steel, and tightly fitted to the lower part of the hoof, so that its lower edge will be about flush with the bottom of the hoof. H is a bolt, which passes up through the shoe, and through a hole in the front part of the strap. To render this fastening strong and secure, the strap is made thick at this point, as seen at I. J are the calks. At the heel the shoe extends back from the heelcalks, having a slot in each end. The rear ends of the parts E of the strap are made with laterally-projecting lugs L, which enter the slots, as seen in the drawing, and the parts E being rigidly attached to D by the bolts F, the rear portion of the shoe is supported thereby. The shoe sits flat on the bottom of the hoof, and when the band B is attached, as seen in the drawing, it is drawn down and tightened on the hoof, so that the band and the shoe are essentially one piece, and made solid on the hoof by virtue of the expanding form of the hoof.

' The ends of the flexible plate or band B may be expanded or contracted to accurately fit hoofs of different Widths, while the lappieces- E may be adjusted according to the length of the hoofs. Aside from this general adaptation in respect to size, the end portions of the band B will conform more or less to the special contour or shape of the sides of the hoof.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The combination of band B, having its flexible end portions provided with a series of holes, Gr,'the longitudinal adjustable pieces E, and bolts F, as shown and described.

2. TheboltH and lugs L, in combination with the band B and shoe 0, for the purposes described. a

JOSEPH HENRY DORGAN.

Witnesses:

DAVID F. DOBIE, W. E. SMITH. 

